Maybe Someday: A Miroku x Sango Love Story
by Enchanted Daisy
Summary: *Finished!* M/S-centered fic; no IY/Kag. Miroku finds out he really is going to die, but if he can journey to the Lake he may live. It's a long, perilous journey...but Miroku's not going to be alone...
1. The Beginning of the Story

Maybe Someday: A Miroku/Sango Love Story

A/N: This is going to be strictly Miroku/Sango. Not that I have anything against IY/Kagome, but they have too many fics out there. So I decided to try my hand with Miroku/Sango. After about chapter 2, Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippou are all but going to disappear from this fic. 

*Disclaimer: * Feh. As if I could every author an incredibly popular manga, which has been running for seven years and counting, having two movies made of it besides an anime series, and has about 14-18% of the population of Japan reading/watching it.

******************************************************************

Miroku knew there was no other choice. He had to use his wind tunnel, his air rip, his black hole, the Kazaana in his right hand…by all names, it was one and the same. Glancing about, he saw Sango and Inuyasha, even Shippou, try to hold back the hordes of demons that were attacking them. Ripping off the rosary that closed the air rip, he braced his right hand with his left and raised it. 

"Get out of the way, everyone!" he called, as demons were irresistably sucked into Miroku's hand. 

Unfortunately, someone heard the call too late. 

Sango stumbled into Kazaana's field. 

With a scream, she was sucked into Miroku's hand. 

"Sango!" he cried, closing his air rip and staring at it in disbelief. "Sango? Sango! SAAAANNNNGGGOOOOO!!" 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Miroku started awake. 

He was leaning against a tree trunk, his staff cluthed in his left hand. Sweat was beading down his face. 

Panting heavily, he checked his surroundings. There was Inuyasha, reclining in a tree branch. And Kagome and Shippou curled up in one of Kagome's 'sleeping-bags.' 

His glance roved frantically around the camp until he spotted Sango's intact form snuggled under simple blankets. Miroku sighed in relief. 

A slight but chill breeze blew, cooling the sweat on Miroku's face but also making him more awake. With a sigh, he took up his staff and sat down next the dying embers of the fire. Tossing a few rogue branches on it to make it warmer, Miroku looked across the group, thinking. 

'We're a motley crew,' he said to himself. 'There's Inuyasha, belonging neither here nor there… Kagome, dragged from one time to the next, always degraded and insecure… Sango, who has lost her family…." Miroku's thoughts stopped there. At the mere thought of Sango, flashes of the dream flashed back into his head. He gripped his head and grunted in frustration. 

Sango stirred. She turned over to see who was making the noise. Sitting up, she saw it was Miroku. He seemed deep in thought, his brows knitted together, the firelight playing shadows on his face, the flames highlighting the violet tint in his eyes. Losing herself for a moment in this vision of him, she almost forgot where she was and what she was doing. After that moment, though, she snapped into reality. Miroku chose that time to look up also and for a second, their eyes met. As soon as it happened, it was gone. 

Miroku gave a weak smile and mouthed at her, across the fire, to go back to sleep. Sango nodded and fell back into slumber easily. 

Miroku sighed. 'I wish I could get back to sleep so easily,' he thought. He held up his right hand and stared at it. Somehow, this was strangely familiar…but he wasn't going to run to anyone for help this time. 

'It was just a dream,' Miroku said in his mind. 'Just a dream, just a dream…' Taking it as his personal mantra, the monk too eventually fell into a restless sleep. 

*~*~*~*~*

Sango and Kagome finished their baths in the hot springs, drying themselves off with some fluffy towels from Kagome's time. Dressing first, Sango stepped from the copse of trees in which the springs were located. Someone brushed by her. Sango turned and saw Miroku. He was holding something in his hands, his brows slightly knit as he gazed at it. 

"Oh, Houshi-sama," breathed Sango, spotting what was in his hands. "I- It's beautiful!" Miroku was cradling a lotus, a full-blossomed, richly pink lotus, drops of water still shimmering on its endless petals. It truly was beautiful. 

"Thank you, Lady Sango," Miroku said seriously, continuing past her. "I intend to offer this to the Lord." 

"Oh, I see," Sango said, a little disappointed. For a wild moment, she had actually thought that Miroku might have plucked the lotus for her…. The monk sidled past her with a mumbled 'Excuse me.' "Hentai!" Sango screeched, slapping Miroku across the face. The monk turned to her in disbelief and confusion. 

"Excuse me, Lady Sango?" Miroku said. "I hadn't touched you at all." Sango saw that the lotus was still firmly cupped in both his hands. She blushed a brilliant red. 

"Oh, sorry," she muttered. "Force of habit…" Still blazing, Sango quickly left the monk's vicinity. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Miroku sat with his legs in the famed 'Lotus Pose,' the lotus itself having been offered as a small tribute to the Enlightened One. Concentrating fiercely, Miroku meditated, asking the Lord for help. 

"Lord," Miroku started, after first chanting the opening prayers. "Please grant me your guidance in leading me to a course of action. I feel I know what I must do… and yet I am reluctant to do it. I am aware that I must not take pleasure in worldly goods, but I am human and my path is flawed. Please tell me what I must do." 

Sinking deeper into his meditation, Miroku sat still for almost two hours before rising with a set face. He sought out Inuyasha. 

"Inuyasha," the monk addressed the hanyou, glad to find him alone. 

"Yeah? What?" Inuyasha replied, cocking one eye open at Miroku. 

"Lend me Tetsusaiga." 

Inuyasha sat up. "What kind of fool thing is that?" he demanded. 

"I need to cut off my right hand." Miroku's face betrayed no emotion, as if cutting off his own hand was as simple as taking a leaf from a tree. He met Inuyasha's stare squarely. 

"Why the hell would you do a damned fool thing like that?" the half-demon wanted to know. Miroku explained about his dream quickly. 

"I can't let that happen," he concluded. "I can't let San- I mean, I can't let anyone of you get sucked into my hand." 

"Feh. It was just a dream, monk. Dreams don't come true," Inuyasha replied, looking away. 

"Listen, Inuyasha," Miroku whispered forcefully. "Everytime I have a dream like that, it comes true. The first time was when- was when my father died. I saw him, Inuyasha, I saw him die in my dream! And that was when I was but a small child too! Had I told either my father or even Mushin, Father could still be alive. It's happened other times too… and I can't let this dream come true!" 

"I'm not going to let you use Tetsusaiga to cut off your right hand," Inuyasha said, apparently not having paid attention to Miroku's speech. "That's final, you hear me monk?" 

"Very well," Miroku said quietly. He strode into the village, where he found a kind fisherman who had a small hatchet with him. Thanking the fisherman profusely, Miroku took the hatchet and found a solitary place in the forest. 

"Okay, here it goes," Miroku said to himself as he lay his hand down on a stump and raised the hatchet. His meditation had led him to the conclusion that it was just a hand, he had another. Worldly goods were nothing; the true path to nirvana lay in the spirit. He took aim and started swinging the hatchet downwards. 

"Houshi!" someone yelled. She expertly stopped Miroku's admittedly strong downward strike, twisting the hatchet away from him. "Houshi!" Sango repeated. "What in the seven hells do you think you're doing?" 

"Listen, Sango," Miroku said, getting slightly annoyed. "Last night, I dreamt that I opened my Kazaana…and you got sucked in. I can't risk that happening." 

Sango fell silent. She slowly released her grip on the monk's wrist. 'He would cut off his right hand…for me?' she thought in disbelief. "Houshi-sama, that's not going to happen." 

He turned to her. "Can you say that with conviction?" hissed Miroku. "Can you really say that you won't be sucked in before I am?" 

"No," Sango admitted, but added quickly, "but I can't let you cut off your right hand just because of some dream!" Sango searched for a good reason. "You'd have a harder time getting women if you were deficient in one hand." 

"If I cut off my hand…" Miroku said slowly, gazing at the appendage "…there won't be any need for an imperative first-born son." 

"Houshi-sama…" 

"Sango, if I really was missing one hand…" Miroku asked her, "would anyone bear my child?" 

"…" 

"Sango! Miroku! There you are!" a cheerful, slightly annoying female voice said. "What're you doing? Inuyasha's blowing his stack right now, he's that mad. Now come on before he decides to kill someone!" Sango thanked the Fates for sending Kagome at the most opportune time. She caught up with Kagome and they started talking. Miroku was still behind them. 

They had made it all the way to the camp without Miroku placing any hand on either of them. 

It was the first thing Sango noticed. 

****************************

A/N: I know Sango doesn't use 'Houshi-sama' as much as a title as a reminder of who he is. But oh well…she can't say his name………yet. Please review, because obviously if you're here, you've read. 


	2. East of the Sun and West of the Moon

Maybe Someday: A Miroku/Sango Love Story

*Disclaimer: * Feh. As if I could ever author an incredibly popular manga, that has been running for seven years and counting, has had two movies made of it besides an animated series, and has 14-18% of the population of Japan watching it. 

A/N: Many many thanks to my reviewers. As a reminder: IY/Kag fans don't read, since they're not going to be in there. I'm pretty sure you could find an approximate 3000 or so fics with that couple. Another reminder: as always, flames, suggestions and reviews are all highly welcome. 

*******************************************

Sango woke up to find a body was blocking the heat from the fire. She looked up and saw an enrobed figure carrying a staff. 

"Houshi-sama," Sango whispered, "what are you doing…?" Miroku laid down his staff and knelt by Sango. He still said nothing. Sango raised herself up slightly also. 

Quietly, Miroku embraced Sango and still without words, kissed her. His mouth found hers, kissing her gently, tenderly. Sango couldn't speak; instead, she relaxed into Miroku's strong, warm embrace, returning the kiss fervently. Slowly, he deepend the kiss, and Sango found herself drowning in a beautiful oblivion…. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sango jerked awake. 

She was firmly on her sleeping mat, the thin blankets tangled in her limbs. Across the fire, in his usual position, was Miroku, staff always at hand. Sango's heart was still beating quickly, and she placed a hand to her chest. 

'Did I just dream…that Miroku kissed me?' Sango thought in surprise. 'But how? Why? Of all people, that lecherous, cheating, womanizing….*monk* …who's also strong, brave, good-looking, courageous, good-looking…' Sango stopped herself before she could get any further. 

The previous day had been a bit awkward for the whole group. Miroku was introverted, seemingly avoiding Sango completely. Sango, for her part, was puzzling out the monk's strange behaviour, and didn't even pay attention to Kirara. Kagome was trying to figure out the two's strange manner and trying to get them to cheer up. Inuyasha was impatient and short-tempered because they hadn't found any Jewel shards in the past few days and Kagome was rationing the ramen. Shippou was the only one to seemingly not have noticed how everyone was acting, but even he gave up talking when he realized no one was listening and went to pour his woes to Kirara. 

So it was a relief to everyone when Inuyasha grudgingly decided it was time to make camp, hoping that the next day would put them at their ease and have a return to 'normalcy.' 

So why had Sango been dreaming of the monk kissing her? 

Sango looked across the fire at Miroku for the second time in as many nights. The dying embers shadowed the upper part of his face, but Sango could make out the even, steady up-and-down of his chest. She smiled slightly, glad to see the troubled monk at his ease. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Look, a village!" Kagome cried happily as they crested a hill. Sango and Miroku came hurriedly to look at the village. It was rather large, almost a town, too big to be a village. At one end, a shrine could be seen. The streets bustled with people, as street vendors hawked their goods and housewives haggled for prices. Along one end of the main street, tents were set up, bright pennants flying from their apexes. 

"Let's go get out fortunes told!" suggested Kagome, as they found that one of the tents was indeed a fortune-teller's tent. 

"Feh. I don't need to be told my future," Inuyasha said dismissively. 

"Fine. You stay here," Shippou said. "I wanna go get my fortune told too, Kagome!" 

"How much do we need to pay?" Miroku asked. The old hag who was the fortune teller hobbled out of her tent after hearing the ruckus the company made. 

"Ye'd have yer fortune told fer free," she rasped, gazing at Miroku with admiration. 

"Thank you, gracious lady," Miroku said, bowing deeply. 

'Turning on that old 'charm' again, even on an old lady,' Sango thought with disgust. 'Does he ever get enough?' 

Miroku entered the surprisingly spacious tent with the old woman. He knelt on the very cheap tatami mat, stained with age, while the fortune-teller slowly lowered her frail form onto the floor. Once seated she instructed Miroku. 

"Now, boy," she wheezed, "sit perfectly still. Close your eyes and relax your mind." Miroku did as he was told, slipping easily into a meditative state. As if from far away, he heard the woman murmur arcane words, her gnarled hands dancing in midair. After some time- he didn't know how long- she stopped her mumbling and snapped her fingers in front of Miroku's face. 

"What have you seen in my future?" he asked amusedly, wanting to know what kind of cheap junk she was going to throw at him. 

"My boy," she said slowly, "I will tell ye something very painful. Ye will die within the fortnight- and ye shall take yer beloved with ye also." 

"Lady," Miroku said, still amused, "while I do not doubt your abilities, the last time I was told I was to die was by my old foster-father who was playing a joke on me." 

"I do not joke!" she hissed. "That curse in your right hand shall consume ye and the one you love before the fortnight is done. And if not that…" she shrugged. "If not that, then some other disaster shall kill ye and the one you love before the fortnight is done." 

'How- how could she know about the curse?' Miroku asked. 'And how could she have known about…perhaps she really is telling the truth.' 

"Yes," said the woman. "I do tell the truth." 

Miroku didn't doubt the fortune-teller now. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked, though he kept his voice emotionless. 

"Yes," the hag replied. "If ye can journey to the Lake of Crystal Waters, and take a sip of water from the blessed lake, then ye shall survive." 

"Where is this lake?" Miroku asked, still keeping his voice low and flat. 

"East of the sun and west of the moon," she replied. Seeing the look on Miroku's face, she added, "It is not impossible. Ye shall find it." With that, the woman clamped her lips together and refused to say more. 

'East of the sun and west of the moon,' thought Miroku as he exited the tent. His face set. 'I will leave- tonight.' 

*************

"Inuyasha," Miroku said that night, after making sure the other three companions were asleep. 

"What do you want now?" Inuyasha asked, annoyed. 'Even hanyou need sleep,' he thought to himself. 

"I'm leaving." 

"What the hell?" Inuyasha burst out, fully awake now. 

"Sh! Quiet!" Miroku hissed, a hand over Inuyasha's mouth. "I'm leaving. I'm going by myself to the Lake of Crystal Waters. If I can take a sip of water from that lake, then I improve my chances of living." 

"I don't know what kind of fool streak has gotten into you lately," Inuyasha said, "but you're not going to go! Naraku will take that opportunity to try to write you off. You're vulenrable without me and Tetsusaiga." 

Miroku stood up. "You may be able to order Kagome around like that," he said, "but it doesn't work on me. And I can take care of myself, thank you very much." 

"Listen, monk, don't go," Inuyasha said, really annoyed now. "You seriously are going to get killed- and then I'll get hell from Kagome about not stopping you. Do you know how many 'sits' that would be?" 

"Well, you did try to stop me," Miroku said. "I don't think you'll have any trouble making something up. 'I *tried* to stop him, but that fool monk just left.'" 

Inuyasha gave in. "Fine. Go. Just- just don't get killed, okay?" He turned his face away from Miroku's. ((A/N: no, I don't mean as in IY likes Miroku, cuz that's really messed up. I mean IY actually kind of thinks of Miroku as a friend.)). 

Miroku smiled. "I won't. I'll be back within the fortnight. If not…" he trailed off. Miroku took up his staff and cast a last, sweeping glance at the group. 

"I'm leaving…alone," Miroku said to no one in particular. And then he left. 

Little did he know that someone was awake during the whole exchange, listening to every word. 

'Why's he leaving?' Sango thought. 'And why is he going alone?' Sango didn't give this a moment's consideration before making her decision. 'No. He's not going alone. He's like to get killed…I'm going with him.' 

Sango got up and dressed, carrying Kirara. She snuck by Inuyasha and Kagome, following the faint light of Miroku's torch. 

Hours passed, and slowly, dawn spread her rosy fingers over the gray sky. However, just as the sun started to rise, Sango stepped on a dry twig. It sounded like a firecracker in the stillness of the forest, all the animals either not up or already been up and settling in for the morning. Miroku spun around, his staff raised. 

"Who's there?" he demanded warily. Sango held her breath, not sure what to do. Miroku, hearing no reply, raised his torch a little higher and saw Sango standing there. "Sango?" Miroku called. 

"Yes," she replied, not knowing what else to say. Miroku came up to her. 

"Sango, what the hell are you doing here?" he asked angrily. "Why aren't you back with the rest of the group? Did Inuyasha ask you to follow me?" 

"No!" Sango said, stepping a little away from Miroku. "I heard you and Inuyasha talking. You can't just go off alone, Houshi-sama!" 

"Why did you follow me?" Miroku asked, though his tone was much softer. 

"Because- because you were likely to get killed all by yourself…and I wanted to see if I could try to help you in your quest." Sango blushed as she said this, not wanting to admit how she felt. Then again, she wasn't sure how she felt. Miroku would say something poetic and kind to her…and the next moment, he'd be groping her. Sango growled in frustration and Miroku looked at her funny. 

Sango blushed but asked Miroku somehting. "Houshi," she started. "Do you feel less alone after joining with Inuyasha and Kagome and Shippou?" 

Miroku knit his brows in thought. Then his forehead relaxed and he opened his eyes to look at Sango squarely. "We're all alone," he said. "There's no point in making friends or…or loving. You'll only be alone in the end." Sango broke away from Miroku's intent gaze, unable to stand their deep stare anymore. "Does that answer your question?" Miroku asked quietly. 

"I'm sorry, Houshi, for bringing up bad memories," Sango whispered. Miroku tilted her face up so he could look at it. After a moment's scrutiny, he let go, his long, sensitive fingers trailing over her skin. 

"Come," Miroku said, looking over his shoulder. "We should get going again." Sango's heart leapt. 

"Does this mean I can come with you?" Sango asked. 

"Yes," the monk replied. Sango told Kirara to transform and pushed her toward Miroku. 

"Ride, Houshi-sama," Sango called. Miroku mounted but then galloped back to Sango, grabbing her arm and hoisting her on behind him. Taken by surprise, Sango instinctively flung her arms around Miroku's waist. Kirara mounted the sky and ran across it. 

"Houshi," Sango gasped, "where are we going?" 

"East of the sun and west of the moon," he replied. 

******************************

A/N: sorry this chapter was short. And I know Miroku probably acted very OOC in here, I apologize. Now from here, the M/S will be taking off. But there will be a lot of action too, I promise. Please review, because if you're here, you've obviously read. 


	3. A Few Misunderstangings

Maybe Someday: A Miroku x Sango Love Story

*Disclaimer: * Feh. As if I could ever author an incredibly popular manga, which has been running for seven years and counting, has had two movies made of it besides an animated series, and has 14-18% of the population of Japan watching it. 

A/N: I got so many reviews! Thank you so much!!! 

Lady Pyro: You have my full permission to host my little fic on your website… thanks so much for the offer! 

And to Keika- 'east of the sun and west of the moon' is not "shiz-nit." It's practically stock in trade for an adventure. Besides, I thought it sounded pretty cool. 

**********************

By midday, Miroku, Sango and Kirara felt tired. The sleepless night was taking its toll. Kirara landed in a clearing ringed by trees, bathed in golden sunlight. Sango slumped against a tree and Miroku sat next to her. 

"Houshi-sama," Sango said, after a few minutes of silence, "why and where are we going?" 

"We are journeying to a place called the Lake of Crystal Waters," Miroku replied. "Yesterday, when I had my fortune told, it was revealed that I would die within the fortnight." 

Sango couldn't repress a derisive snort. "And you believed the hag?" she asked. 

"She knew about the Air Rip," he answered. "She knew of the curse and…of other matters." The faintest tinge of pink appeared on his face, remembering what the fortune-teller had said about 'his beloved.' Sango glanced curiously at him but didn't press further. 

"The Lake of Crystal Waters, hm?" Sango said, changing the subject. "I've heard of that. It is reputed to have great powers- one sip of water can give someone wealth, power, and it can revitalize life and even resurrect someone." 

"There must be something wrong then," Miroku said, "or else no one would have need of the Shikon Jewel. Surely journeying to a lake is simpler than fighting for a jewel." 

Sango furrowed her brow in thought. "I did hear something," she admitted. "The path to the Lake is perilous- there are demons whose sole purpose is to protect the path to the Lake. And there are other obstacles… I cannot recall…." 

Miroku shook his head. "Don't worry. I'll fight to get there. I am not ready to die so soon." 

They resumed walking. Presently, Sango had another question. 

"Houshi-sama," she started, "where exactly is 'east of the sun and west of the moon?'" 

Miroku thought of this for a few minutes before replying. "To tell you the truth, I don't know-" 

"What?" Sango burst out. "You're leading us on a nothing-path?" 

"No, no!" Miroku hastened to reply. "I do not know if there's a physical direction…but the old woman said that I would reach there." He smiled confidently at her. "And I have this feeling that I'm going the right way." 

Sango muttered that he'd be feeling a lot more if they did end up hopelessly lost, but Miroku only chuckled. "Have some faith," he said. "We'll get there. Don't worry." 

Sango replied that a 'don't worry' from him was the same as coming from a wolf that's watching the chicken coop. But now Miroku was getting a little annoyed. 

"Sango, please," he said. "You made the choice to come with me. Just trust me!" Sango looked a little surprised at this show of emotion from the usually easy-going monk. 

"Sorry," she mumbled. Miroku glanced at her, her face angled downwards. 

"Sango," he said firmly, "I think you need to sleep. And some food would do you good also." 

"No, no!" Sango replied. "Houshi-sama, I am not a weak little girl!" But even as she said it, her steps faltered and her head started to spin from lack of food. Miroku came next to her and braced her with his hands. They were at her shoulders now, but Sango was still on her guard. 

"I didn't say that," he said softly, his breath tickling the fine hairs on her neck. Her heartbeat quickened and her breath came a little harsher. 

'Houshi, please get away…' Sango pleaded regretfully in her mind. Did he know what he was doing to her? Why wouldn't he go away, so that her heartbeat would slow and her blood would course through her veins instead of the fire that was in her body now? Luckily though, his wandering hands slipped down to her breasts and Sango found some strength to slap the monk. 

"Hentai!" she yelled. Quickly, she stepped far away from him. 'How could you have let yourself get all worked over how close he was to you?' she thought furiously. 'He's right…we're all alone, we can't risk friendship…or loving…even if it is one-sided….' 

*****

It was almost dusk when a demon jumped out of nowhere. 

He was a huge, horrible snake-demon, its eyes glowing a demonic crimson and its glossy scales jet-black; large fangs protruding from its mouth dripped with a blue poison. 

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled, as she threw her boomerang at the snake demon. It deflected the boomerang, so the weapon came back and almost hit Sango. She grunted as she deftly ducked out of the way, then ran back to retrieve her weapon. 

In the meantime, Miroku had jumped out and was preparing to bash the monster's head in. He wove in and out of the snake's dark coils, all the while hitting sensitive spots with his staff. 

'I would open the air rip,' he thought, even as he dodged a spray of poison. 'But if my dream does come true…' With a yell, Miroku thrust his staff into one of the creature's slitted, red eyes. The creature hissed loudly in pain and attempted to bite Miroku in half. 

"Houshi-sama!" Sango called. "Get out of the way so I can use my Hiraikotsu!" Miroku leapt back and nodded to Sango to quickly throw her boomerang. Because of its injury, the demon couldn't block the weapon, and the giant boomerang-bone easily decapitated the demon. 

"Any Shikon shards?" Sango asked, as she inspected the snake demon. 

Miroku shook his head. "No," he said, almost thankfully. "Naraku didn't send this demon after us." 

**

On the trail once more, Sango couldn't help but cast surreptitious glances at the monk. He was walking straight ahead, his head slightly bent. 'No monk living in a monastery all their life,' she thought, 'could fight demons like that.' She took in how his thick robes were burned through with tiny bits of poison, and how his staff still showed residue of the snake-demon's blood. 

Miroku glanced back for a moment and noticed Sango looking at him, absentmindedly stroking Kirara at her shoulder. He grinned and fell back so he was walking abreast with Sango. 

"Couldn't resist me, eh?" he teased. Sango scowled. 

"You should get your staff and robes washed, Houshi," she replied, avoiding the question. 

"We're in luck, then," Miroku said cheerfully. Sango glanced at him suspiciously before they cleared the forest ((A/N: This is a different forest, not the Fukai Mori.)) and a small town came into view. Sango gave a grateful sigh. 

As expected, Miroku went to the first prosperous-looking inn they saw and asked to speak to the owner. 

"I sense a dark cloud hanging over your establishment," he started seriously. "If you will permit me to perform an exorcism…" 

"Bah!" the proprietor said. "I know about people like you, trying to fob off innocent people like me. Besides, I don't have any room for you and your wife- who was, by the way, rolling her eyes during your little routine." And with that, he slammed the door on them. 

Sango blushed furiously at being called Miroku's wife and at being found out. She hadn't honestly meant to roll her eyes and give Miroku away. The monk, however, took it all in stride. 

"So now we're married," he said, somewhat happily. "Now, all we need is a room…" 

"Two," corrected Sango. "Two rooms." 

Miroku gave an exaggerated sigh. "Who ever heard of a husband and wife sleeping apart?" he asked plaintively. Sango let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes once more. 

"We are *not* married," she told him shortly. 

"Couldn't we pretend?" Miroku said. 

Sango gave up. "C'mon, Houshi, let's just find a place to stay." 

Finally, the proprietess of a seedy-looking inn believed Miroku's rigmarole and allowed the monk to perform his 'exorcism.' 

"We have one room," the old woman wheezed. "Perfect for you two newlyweds." 

'Why oh why does everyone think we're married?' Sango thought confusedly. Miroku grinned and winked at Sango. 

"That is wonderful, right, dear?" Miroku said. He came up to her and placed an arm across her waist. 

"Watch it, Houshi," Sango growled in his ear. Miroku only chuckled, but his hands stayed where they should be as they followed the woman up a rickety set of steps into a small room. 

"It's the Newlywed Suite," the woman announced proudly. Sango looked about with her eyebrows raised. The room was covered in rough yellow linen and had a single horsehair mattress with a few ratty blankets on top. "This room is far from the others so you can have your privacy." Sango blazed a bright red and Miroku looked even happier than ever. 

"This is getting better and better!" he said to her. Sango just made that growling noise again. "Do you offer a laundry service?" he asked the owner of the inn. The woman nodded and Miroku grinned. "Then can you take my robes for washing?" 

Sango blushed again and intervened. "Houshi-sama, I'll wash your clothes," she said hurriedly. There was no way she was going to give Miroku's only set of clothes to a complete stranger! The proprietess protested, but Sango insisted it was no trouble, and in fact, in her village, the wife always washed the husband's clothes. 

**

After Sango took her bath in the partially heated water of the inn, she told Miroku to go. Taking his robes and making sure not to look at him, she carried the thick robes downstairs where she found a willing maid to scrub them. "Uh, only wash the outer robes," Sango said. "I'll take the inner robes." 'Besides,' she thought, 'the inner robes aren't stained too badly…' Sango took the inner robes back upstairs to Miroku and gave them to him. ((A/N: I don't know the specifics of a monk's attire, but I'm assuming that they wear an inner robe just like women in kimono.))

Unfortunately, there was still the problem of where to sleep. 

"You take the bed," Miroku offered. "I'll sleep on the ground." 

"Oh, no," Sango replied. "I'll sleep on the floor, I don't mind…" However, Miroku came up to her and gently but firmly pushed her down on the bed. He hung over her for a fraction of a second before straightening. 

"Sleep," he said softly. "I won't be lying down of course, I'll sit up near the door." Sango was too tired to argue. She murmured thanks before drifting off into sleep. 

**

Midway through the night, Sango woke up because she was shivering. Burrowing down in the blankets, she saw Miroku by the light of the full moon. He was sitting cross-legged, staff lain across his lap. However, in only his thin inner robes, the cold affected him more than Sango. Unconsciously, in his light sleep, the monk was shivering, his shoulders shaking at times with their-the shivers'- violence. 

In the morning, Sango wondered what had gotten into her, but at that time she was sure she wasn't thinking. 

"Houshi-sama," she said softly. Instantly, Miroku was up, his staff raised in order to protect them from any harm. Soon he realized that it was only Sango and he walked over to her, raising an eyebrow in a question. "Would you like to sleep in the same bed as me?" she asked unblushingly. Miroku was taken by surprise before Sango started drifting back to sleep. Nodding, he climbed onto the hard mattress and curled up next to Sango. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

When the sun streamed through the bamboo blinds and cast golden shafts of sunlight into the small room, Sango woke up abruptly. She didn't open her eyes in that moment though, reveling in the warmth of her bed. She snuggled closer into the body of the arm that was draped protectiviely over her side. 

Then she really woke up. 

Sango barely stopped from screaming. What was this monk thinking, climbing into her bed in the middle of the night? She glanced at herself and saw that she along with he was fully clothed. Flaming, Sango remembered that she herself had invited Miroku to share her mattress. 

'But he didn't have to get so close!' she fumed, as she carfully tried to extricate herself from the tangle of limbs that was her and Miroku. Miroku protested, mumbling for her to stay and pulling her closer to him with his arm. Sango sighed, resigned to her fate, and decided to enjoy the extra rest. 

However, she couldn't rest. This closeness to Miroku was making her restless, her breath coming in short gasps. She realized with some surprise that his chest and stomach muscles were pretty well-developed, his arms lean and muscular. 'What kind of monk is he?' she couldn't help but wonder. 'His own kind,' Kagome had said once. Sango smiled slightly. 'He's certainly his own kind,' she thought amusedly. She couldn't repress the chuckle that came to her lips when she thought of his 'exorcisms.' 

The light breath from her chuckle tickled Miroku's ear and he too woke up. For a moment, he was confused as to why he was lying down on a matress, and what's more, he was warm. He opened his eyes to look into Sango's own. Quickly, he climbed out of the bed and straightened his robes. 

"Sango?" he said tentatively. "Did I…really get into bed with you?" For some reason, he seemed nervous, as if he wanted the answer to be no. 

"I asked," Sango said, averting her face from his. Miroku breathed out in relief. 

'I couldn't stand myself,' he thought, 'if I had taken advantage of Sango like that…' 

"It was innocent," Sango mumbled, still trying to hide her bright red blush. 

"You shouldn't blush so much," Miroku said. "It obscures your natural beauty." 

Sango muttered something incrompehensible about monks and men in general before she too got out of bed and directed Miroku downstairs to collect his robes. After Miroku was fully dressed, they set out on the trail once more. 

**************************************

A/N: This chapter was pretty slow, not a lot of action, but it was a little more…what's the word…fluffier? I guess? I don't know. The next chapter will be a continuation of this same day, and will probably be a lot more of looking into Miroku's past, since that's something that's been really obscure since the beginning. 

And two people can sleep in the same bed without 'sleeping together,' if you get my meaning. 

Please review, because obviously if you're here you've already read.


	4. A Woman's Embrace

Maybe Someday: A Miroku x Sango Love Story

*Disclaimer: * Feh. As if I could ever author an incredibly popular manga, which has been running for seven years and counting, has had two movies made of it besides an animated series, and has 14-18% of the population of Japan watching it. 

A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. Your input really counts. As always, flames, reviews, suggestions and questions are welcome. If you have a suggestion for this story, e-mail me and I'll consider putting it in! 

************************************

Now fully rested, watered and fed, Sango felt she could face anything that came their way. In fact, she was almost hoping for a demon to come their way. 

But first, she had some questions for the monk. 

"Houshi-sama," she started. He turned to her and waited for her to continue. "I was watching you fight yesterday…and you were kind of good…and I was wondering how you got so much experience. Surely living in a Buddhist monastery all your life couldn't have taught you those skills…?" 

Miroku chuckled. "You've been full of questions lately, Sango." 

She scowled. "I just want to know more about the person I'm traveling with." 

"Fair enough," Miroku said cheerfully. 

"Just answer my question," Sango said. 

Miroku sighed. "Though it is true I was born and brought up in a monastery, I have been on my shard-hunting quest for almost five years- including the time after I met Inuyasha and Lady Kagome," he said. "I first set out when I had completed fourteen summers." Sango gave a small gasp. He was so young! 

Ignoring Sango, Miroku continued, drawn into his own memories that he had tried to avoid for so many years. "Even though I came from a family of monks, I truly did feel that vocation to serve the Lord. The monastery I grew up in was…special. You may not believe it, but even old Mushin was quite the fighter in his day." 

"Did you…have affection for your foster father?" Sango couldn't help but ask. 

"He was all the family I had left," Miroku said, not answering the question. "My mother was sucked into my own wind tunnel when I was born." Sango felt intense pity for the monk who had killed his own mother at birth. "And then, when I had barely reached my fifth summer, Father was killed also, devoured by his own hand. 

"Mushin knew well that I would face many demons myself, and so he broke his vow of pacifism and taught me many valuable skills- not just fighting, but also how to get rooms at inns." Sango snorted. 

"After I had learned all I could, not only in the ways of the Lord but also in the ways of the world, I took my leave of my old foster-father and my home to hunt down Naraku." Miroku looked at her. "Did I answer your question?" 

Sango was ashamed to feel the tiniest prickling of tears behind her eyes. She struggled to keep them under control…but it was so sad! She had been orphaned just recently- but Miroku here had grown up without any family. To make up for his lack of family he studied, studied intensely, reading books that even old scholars couldn't make heads or tails of. At the tenderest age, he had been left alone, with only a drunk, old monk to care for him. 

Impulsively, in a distinctly Kagome-like moment, Sango flung her arms around Miroku, for that second breathing in his smell. Miroku's eyes widened in surprise, not giving him a chance to enjoy his proximity with Sango. Before Miroku could get over his shock, Sango had pulled away from him, taking a couple steps back, her face flaming. 

"Sorry, Houshi-sama, I don't know what got into me…" Sango muttered, embarrassed at her show of affection for the monk. But Miroku silenced her apology by placing a finger over her lips. 

"You don't need to feel sorry for me," he said softly, a trace of mirth in his face, shaking his head slightly. Sango didn't reply, her gaze held once more by his, his slightly callused finger still pressed lightly on her lips. Slowly, subtly, he inched his face closer to Sango's, until she was sure that they couldn't get any closer. As if in a dream, Miroku sought her mouth out with his… 

"Meow! Meow!" Kirara's plaintive mewling in between the two cut them off. Quickly, Miroku and Sango retreated from each other, both blushing darkly. Privately, Sango wasn't sure if she welcomed Kirara's interruption…or whether she wished the cat hadn't come between the two. 

"Let's continue," Miroku said, not looking at her. "We still have a ways to go." 

**

It was just too awkward. 

Miroku wouldn't look at Sango, and Sango wouldn't look at Miroku. Neither would they talk. Occasionally, Miroku would ask Sango if she was tired, or if she was thirsty or hungry, to all questions Sango replied with a quick 'No.' But besides that, all communication and camaraderie was lost between the two. 

'How are we ever going to get to the Lake if we're not going to talk?' Sango thought. 'But what would I say? What would he say?' Sango sighed and shook her head. It was at times like this that she wished Kagome was around, what with her futuristic knowledge of boys and relationships. Sango frowned. Then again, it was Kagome's influence that had made her suddenly embrace Miroku.

As Miroku walked along, silent, he too thought about what had just happened. It had been a long time since he had been voluntary embraced by a woman- a real woman- not a demon in disguise. In fact, Miroku couldn't recall a time when any female had willingly touched him. He smiled wryly. 'I guess my question puts them off,' he thought. But it was habit; coming from a line of lechers, it was practically inherent in him. And his upbringing had done nothing to calm that habit of letting his hands wander where they shouldn't. 

**

"Sango, I-" 

"Miroku, I-" 

Both Miroku and Sango turned to speak to each other at the same time. Both felt that someone needed to make the first move; after all, they would be journeying with each other for a time. 

"Ladies first," Miroku said, smiling and bowing comically. 

"I-it's nothing," Sango started. "Except for about what happened…a while back… I didn't mean to- to hug you…" 

"I didn't mind," Miroku said. His face registered complete sincerity but Sango didn't want to believe him. "And I just thought I saw something on your face that would be best wiped away- as it marred your beauty." Miroku grinned, though the smile didn't reach his eyes completely, and Sango exhaled in relief. She was right- it was nothing. Nothing had happened. 

*~*~*~*

Why didn't she want to believe that Miroku would actually have feelings for her?

Probably because he didn't, Sango thought darkly. She was probably just another available virgin girl for the taking, to him. Gods, but it wasn't fair! Neither could love the other, for fear of the unimaginable but inevitable- that of death, pain, loss. 

Miroku, sleep evading him, stared at his accursed hand. Damn that hand! he thought ferociously. He should have just cut it off when he had the chance. For with the cursed hand hanging over him, how could he let anyone, even Sango, close enough that they would get hurt if and when his hand consumed him? True, he was on a quest to defeat Naraku, but that wouldn't be for a long time…if it happened at all. Miroku gave a scowl amazingly reminiscent of Sango's. Naraku had been defeated in minor ways more than once- but he never completely died. Never completely disappeared. 

Miroku punched his fist into the ground. "Dammit all," he muttered. He wasn't sure what he was cursing, exactly: Naraku, the Shikon no Tama, his hand, life in general…or maybe it was a mix of both. He punched his hand into the ground again, cursing a little louder this time. "Dammit!" he yelled for a final time. 

Sango listened to Miroku with alarm. What was coming over the usually laid-back, simple monk?

******************************

Sorry this chapter is so short. It was going somewhere but I forgot somewhere in the middle. The Super Bowl was so dumb. I mean, 47-21 to Tampa Bay? Come on. *shakes head.* Oh well. There's always next year… 

I know, absolutely know Miroku acted waaaay OOC in this chapter. Please tell me how I can keep him IC, then I'll edit this chapter and repost it. Please review, because if you're here then obviously you read.


	5. Yet More Fluff

Maybe Someday: A Miroku x Sango Love Story

*Disclaimer: * I don't own Inuyasha, but I sure as anything wish I owned Miroku…

A/N: I did three things: 1) watch the first IY movie, and it was good. 2) I read manga chapter 292. And 3) I saw episode 72. I don't know whether to be happy or sad…it's good to know that Miroku and Sango finally get together but it kinda takes the fun outta writing fanfictions for them. J or L ? Can you BELIEVE STUPID ******* ********* ADULT SWIM??? They're only playing up to episode 38. EPISODE 38! What the hell? What about the rest of Inuyasha? Does anyone know where I can download or get IY eps short of Kazaa? 

********************************

"Houshi-sama?" Sango ventured, once more on the path. He turned to her and nodded briefly to show that he was listening. "Is everything okay? Is anything wrong?" 

Miroku smiled cheerfully and replied, "No, not at all. Everything is going perfectly." He scowled at his hand. 

"Houshi-sama," Sango said a little quieter, suddenly finding Kirara's two tails immensely interesting, "if anything's wrong…you should tell me." 

"I know," Miroku said softly. "But what would make you think that anything is wrong?" 

Sango shrugged. "Last night, I heard you cursing loudly for apparently no reason at all, and so I wondered…" she shrugged again. 

"Oh. That," Miroku said a tad sheepishly. "I was discouraged and angry and I had to vent my rage somehow." 

"Taking lessons from Inuyasha now, are we?" Sango said sarcastically. 

Miroku laughed lightly and shook his head. "Don't tell me you haven't borrowed some things from Lady Kagome," he answered. Sango flushed slightly, remembering how she had embraced the monk and also how that was distinctly reminiscent of something Kagome would do. 

*~*~*~*~*

Sango sighed happily as she looked around at her surroundings. They were on a small, green hill, with bright green grass and flowers liberally interspersed all over the slope. Sango was sitting upright with one leg bent under her and the other bent up propping up her arms. In one hand she held a small flower she had saved from being crushed. 

"Ahhh," Miroku said, as he stretched out on his back next to her. He folded his hands behind his head and opened his eyes, looking up at the cornflower-blue sky and watching the fluffy clouds take shape above him. "Lady Sango, let us take a long break and rest here for the day and the night," he said lazily, though on impulse. "There are some hot springs nearby. And a demon attack is not probable." 

Sango, though pleased at the prospect, looked at him in surprise. "But, Houshi-sama," she said, "how much time do we have left to reach the lake?" 

Miroku closed his eyes and turned his head so that when he opened his eyes he was looking at Sango. "We have enough time," he said, smiling. "No hurry." 

"I'm just worried about you," she muttered. "I don't want time…to run out before you can take a sip from the lake." 

"Sango." Miroku's hand snaked up and caught the hand with the flower in it. She inhaled sharply and then looked at him with slightly trembling lips. Miroku gave an unexpected yank on her wrist and brought her tumbling down next to him. He took the flower from her hand and tucked it behind the ear that was exposed to the air. "No worries." Lightly kissing the taijiya's hand that was still in his, he released all hold on Sango and rolled over on his back, advising Sango to do the same. 

Sango too relaxed, her eyes staring into the bright blue sky, Kirara comfortably curled up on the side that wasn't near Miroku. To all appearances, the monk was deep asleep and as Sango looked up, she decided that to sleep might not be such a bad idea after all….

~*~*~*~*~*

Sango started awake when a slight but chill breeze ruffled her air and cooled her skin. Opening her eyes, she noticed that the sun was going down, the sunset almost over. Only a few gold and pink and violet streaks remained stretched across the rapidly-darkening sky. 

"Where's Houshi-sama?" Sango asked of her cat a moment later, noticing that the monk was no longer next to her. Kirara opened one sleepy cat-eye and mewed once, yawned and promptly fell back asleep. Much as she loved Kirara, Sango thought that it was at times like this when having real human company was a good thing. 

Sango got to her feet and stretched, limbering muscles that might be used in battle. Once fully stretched she scooped up the unwilling Kirara and went to search for Miroku. As far as she knew, there wasn't any town or village nearby that he could have gone to- so he must be lurking around somewhere closeby. Sango glanced at the dark sky with concern. Miroku was a capable person- but it wouldn't help to have a demon exterminator on hand especially when it was night. Just in case. 

After a quarter-hour or so of searching, Sango stumbled into a copse of trees, from whose center steam was emanting. Sango realized after a confused moment that this was where the hot springs were. She glanced around and called out to make sure that no one was nearby, then made her decision. 

"Houshi-sama's a skilled person," she told her cat. "He can take care of himself for a half-hour or so." Setting Kirara down Sango undid her clothing and delicately waded into the hot springs. 

"Mmmm," she murmured as she closed her eyes in pleasure. She went in a little deeper until she found a small rock ledge she could sit on. Just as she was about to lower herself onto the shelf though, she hit something soft, fleshy, and a little hairy… 

It surfaced, leaping full out of the water and sucking in a huge breath, and as the steam cleared, Sango saw what she had hit. 

It was Miroku. 

He was completely undressed, the water coming up just barely to his hips. Thin tendrils of steam rose from his body also. The monk's hair was let down, plastered to his head, dripping water. His chest, Sango noticed, was remarkably well-toned. It was not the first time she had noticed it, but it was the first time she had seen it in person. 

The site of such a different- and better- Miroku than what she normally saw made her heart race and her breathing quicken. It was a moment before she remebered that she was naked in a pool with a similarly unclothed hentai monk who had no qualms about groping women. Although she was covered by water and steam, Sango instinctively crouched lower in the water. 

Miroku, for his part, didn't open his eyes or see Sango for a while. He had been cleansing himself when he decided to wash his hair also, and had therefore submerged himself underwater. It was then that something had bumped against his head, something he couldn't see since his eyes were closed. In a moment of needing breath, Miroku had launched himself out of the water, his eyes still tightly shut, the sudden coldness of the air sending shivers up and down his skin. 

So it was a shock to him when he opened his eyes to find himself in the close sight of Sango, undressed, although the only part of her Miroku could see was her beet-red face. With a start, he realized that most of his body could be freely seen and he quickly sank back under the water. 

However, he couldn't hold his breath forever, and when he did resurface for breath, he realized Sango was still there. She knew she couldn't dry and get dressed in the little time that Miroku would be underwater. 

"Uh, Houshi-sama?" Sango said. "Could you turn around so I could get dressed?" 

Miroku swam across from her so that he was facing her on an opposite end of the rock ledge. True, the distance wasn't great, but it was far enough that Miroku couldn't reach her. "No need, Sango," Miroku said easily. "Relax. Soak for a little while." He smiled. "I'm far away, I won't touch you." 

"No, I think I'm clean enough now," Sango protested. She tried to keep her eyes focused anywhere except Miroku's exposed torso. Miroku looked like he wanted to protest further, but shut his mouth and obediently closed his eyes and ducked underwater. Quickly, Sango gathered her clothes and ran to a more secluded part of the bunch of trees to get dressed. 

**

"Augggghhh!" Sango screamed loudly a few minutes later, just outside the hot springs. Miroku, not thinking twice, grabbed his staff and leapt out of the water, running in the direction of Sango's scream. 

He found Sango with Hiraikotsu as she prepared to take out the demon. It's outer appendages were already severed from its body but the monster wasn't dead yet. Miroku was about to join the fight before Sango decapitated the monster and it seemed that she had won. 

However, just behind her, another demon- presumably the first's mate- raised a poisonous claw and ripped all tendons in Sango's right arm. She bit back a scream of agony but there was nothing she could do with her arm useless and poison spreading through her body. 

The demon raised its hand again and Sango prepared for what she was sure would be her last fight, flipping out the shinobi blades she had strapped onto her one good arm. 

The demon descended. 

Sango was pushed out of the way by a pale blur with a golden staff. She saw Miroku take the blow that was meant for her and then stick his staff into the demon's eye, the trick that had worked so well so many times before. The demon, who was weak to begin with, went down, and Miroku hit it a few more times just to be safe. 

Sango saw all this through hazy eyes. After the battle was over, Miroku rushed to Sango's side and held her head in his hands. "Sango? Sango! Are you all right?" 

"Houshi…-sama," Sango managed out with the last of her strength. Miroku leaned closer to her to hear her words. "Please…put your robes back on." 

And then Sango passed out. 

**********************

Well, this was yet another fluffy-Miroku-was-OOC-chapter from me. *sigh* I promise I'm getting to the point soon… I just went to an excellent, top-notch MiroSan shrine, address http://www.anzwers.org/free/mirokusango/ I suggest you check out the fanart- there is one veeerrrrrrrry excellent picture of Miroku in a hot springs…


	6. Down With the Sickness

Maybe Someday: A Miroku x Sango Love Story

*Disclaimer: * Feh. As if I could author an incredibly popular manga, which has been running for seven years and counting, has had two movies made of it besides an animated series, and has 14-18% of the population of Japan watching it. 

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers, especially those who said that Miroku was more or less IC. Oh and I just checked my stats: I'm on the favorite authors list of four whole members! They are: Kaylana, Quacked Jimbob, Sango-chan, and mkb14. Thanks a million, please keep me on your list and don't remove me!

***************************************

Miroku cursed fluently under his brearth as he felt himself weakening. But he couldn't show weakness now…not when he needed to save Sango. Taking off his violet outerrobe, he ripped it into pieces and quickly bound Sango's worst wounds with it. He winced as he saw the amount of blood flowing freely from her many wounds. Gingerly, Miroku created a sling for her broken arm. Using the rest of the cloth, he wrapped a few of the strips around his arms and once around his head. Glancing ruefully at his work, he decided that it would have to do for now. 

Miroku picked Sango and the tiny, unconcious Kirara up and also slung Hiraikotsu over his shoulder. He staggered for a moment under the weight, once more wondering how Sango could carry the thing around all day all the time. 

Leaving the caracasses of the demons behind, Miroku went as fast as he could toward the north. The sky was completely dark now, the moon still not completely up. He stumbled over tree roots, ruts in the road, but doggedly continued on. 

'Save Sango,' he said over and over in his mind. 'Save Sango, save Sango…' 

~*~*~*~*~*

The sky had turned an inky black as the night wore on. Miroku honestly didn't know how long he could last. He too had had a dose of the demon's poison, and while he wasn't as badly injured as Sango, he was still in rough condition. 

Miroku glanced up when the moon was one-quarter risen. He had been looking at the ground, watching his way so as not to stumble and injure Sango and himself more. There! The moonlight shone on a tiny hut with thatched roof and a large garden. Miroku sighed happily and quickly picked his way over to the hut. 

To all appearances it was deserted. He shouldered his way into the hut, since the door was unlocked, and called out. "Hello? Is anyone here?" Not hearing an answer, Miroku decided that he would set Sango down now and stay awake until the owner of the hut came back. Surely they would understand, thought Miroku, that he had done what was proper under the circumstances, as one of his friends was hurt. 

The hut was not totally dark. A small fire, much larger at one point in time, still burned in the surprisingly large hearth. A dark pot still hung over the pot. Finding some firewood handy, Miroku tossed some logs in and watched as the fire roared into sudden life. 

The hut was sparsely furnished, divided into two parts: the living area and the sleeping area. The entire setup was only three rooms, including a kitchen. Miroku thought, as he searched for some blankets, that whoever lived in the hut must have been moderately poor. He couldn't find any blankets, but he couldn't waste more time looking for them. He took off his own remaining robes, until he was in his underrobes, and laid them across the ground next to the fire. He placed Sango on the blanket and knelt next to her, watching how her wounds still bled and hoping that someone would come soon. He couldn't take care of her himself. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Who's there?" a sharp voice demanded. 

Miroku leapt to his feet from the kneeling position he was earlier. It had been a few hours since he had found the hut, and all through he had been awake, staring into the fire and watching Sango anxiously, feeling frustrated he couldn't do anything. It wasn't his fault, though! The person who normally lived in the hut obviously didn't expect to ever have a seriously wounded person as a guest, because there had been no bandages or medicines of any kind. 

"Who's there?" the voice demanded again. It was that of a woman, middle-aged Miroku guessed, and obviously a spinster. "I tell you, if you're a robber or a thief then you really have it comin'!" 

The owner of the voice came in, and, as Miroku had guessed, was a small middle-aged woman with a sharp face and gray hair. Already to his feet, Miroku bowed only slightly and replied as smoothly as ever. 

"Pardon me, Auntie*," he said. "This young girl, Sango, was seriously injured in a battle agianst youkai. I was looking for shelter for her, and care also. If you could direct me to the nearest priestess…" 

"Bah!" the woman said. "What do you need those village priestesses for? I am a healer myself!" 

Miroku looked perplexed. "And yet, when I searched for bandages, herbs, medicines…" 

"Well, you weren't looking hard enough," she admonished him. She made her way in quick steps to the kitchen, where she opened a cabinet and pulled out a bundle of medicines, bandages and herbs. She came back to the fire and set them down, rolling up her sleeves. "Now, what is the problem?" 

Miroku told the healer about Sango's injuries. "She has a broken arm, and various other cuts and lacerations on her arms, stomach, legs, chest. I thank you…?" 

"Kourin," she gave her name. 

"Kourin Auntie," Miroku finished. Kourin glanced sharply at him.

"You are not without your own injuries," she said. 

Miroku shrugged. "They are nothing. Sango… Sango may die if she is not treated." He glanced down at Sango's flushed face as he said the last part. Kourin nodded understandingly. 

"I see. Now can you help me?" Miroku replied in the affirmative. Gently, he peeled Sango's clothes off, grimacing when he saw the old scars and the new cuts on her pale, otherwise smooth skin. Kourin mixed herbs and applied a salve to Sango's physical injuries, creating a better sling for her broken arm. 

Sango, still unconcious, shivered violently at times and sweated profusely at others. Kourin, noticing this, asked Miroku, "Was there any poison involved?" 

"Yes," Miroku replied sadly, "she was cut by poisoned claws." Kourin nodded but otherwise didn't say anything, and for a while they worked together on Sango, silent. After a while, when Kourin and Miroku were almost done, the healer broke the silence. 

"What is young Sango to you?" she asked softly, nonchalantly, as if she were just making small talk. In truth, she wanted to know why the girl was so important to the monk that he would completely ignore his own injuries to save her first. 

Miroku didn't look at Kourin when he replied. "I have known her for some time," he answered. "We…we are close friends." Kourin stared hard at him once more before smiling secretly to herself and tying the last bits of bandage around Sango. 

"There!" she said. "I'm all finished." Her smile faded as she looked Miroku full in the eye. "However," she continued, "your friend here has taken in a moderate amount of poison. It has the potential to kill her." Miroku glanced up sharply, his eyes widening slightly in surprise. Packing up her materials, Kourin continued with the disturbing news. "I have given her medicines," she said, "but there is only so much I can do." She shook her head. "It's up to the fates now." 

Miroku frowned and returned Kourin's gaze. "She will not die," he said with quiet conviction. He broke his stare with Kourin and turned his eyes on Sango's turbulent face. "She cannot die. She has unfinished business to attend to." Miroku took a more comfortable position on the floor next to Sango. "Rest," he told the healer. "You have worked hard tonight. I will watch over her." 

Kourin nodded and rose easily to her feet, yawning. "Thank you, Houshi-sama," she said. "I will be in the next room on the futon if you need me." 

Miroku listened to Kourin's fading footsteps as he watched over Sango. He brushed a few strands of hair tenderly from her sweaty face and knelt over her, gently, gently brushing his lips across her forehead. 

"Don't die," he whispered in her ear. "Don't die." 

Miroku relaxed into a semi-meditative state, readying himself for whatever may come. 

~*~*~*~*~*

It was three or four days later when Sango's fever broke. Miroku, who was on watch at the time, sat up straighter as Sango stirred. During the past week, Miroku, with help from Kourin, had re-dressed Sango's wounds, administered medicine and rubbed healing salve over her. Every single hour that Sango didn't wake only made Miroku lose hope that she would ever get better. However, during all those hours that became days, he had stayed up, never sleeping, only occasionally consuming food. 

Sango, finally over her illness, moaned softly and blinked her eyes a few times before they focused. The first thing they saw was Miroku's violet eyes gazing anxiously at her face. He smiled broadly when he realized she was awake. 

"Sango," he whispered, still smiling. He wrapped her into a gentle embrace. She tensed against the sudden motion. Miroku put his face on the crook between her neck and shoulder. "I was so worried…that you might not make it." Brought out of his semi-meditative state, Miroku felt his own injuries take their toll on his body, and he collapsed on the floor next to Sango. 

"Houshi-sama?" Sango said as loudly as she could, pushing away from him. "Houshi-sama!" She attempted to move and found herself still sore, her broken arm still painful. She groaned but managed to pull herself into a sitting position. "Houshi-sama, what's wrong?" Miroku didn't answer and Sango looked around for someone to help. 

After an hour or so though, Sango still immobile, Kourin the healer came home. 

"Ah!" she said, upon seeing Sango, "you're awake, are you?" 

"Yes, Auntie," said Sango, "but Houshi-sama…" she gestured to the unconscious monk. Kourin clucked her tongue. 

"I figured his injuries would show themselves sooner or later," she muttered. Quickly though, still muttering under her breath about foolish houshi, she brought new blankets along with her bundle of medicines. Noticing Sango was rendered immobile, Kourin treated Miroku's wounds herself. 

"Kourin Auntie," said Sango anxiously, "how bad is he?"

"He has minor physical injuries," said Kourin carefully. "Luckily, his wounds didn't get infected. However…" Kourin trailed off. 

"What, Kourin Auntie?" Sango asked, attempting once more to stand. 

"You shouldn't stand yet," Kourin told her. Sango fixed her with a stare and the healer sighed. "However…he too suffered poisoning. And though the effects haven't shown themselves for the past week- when you were sick- I fear that they will come back doubly bad now." 

"Does that mean…" Sango looked from Kourin to Miroku, "…that Houshi-sama will die of his wounds?" Sango remembered what Miroku had told her of the old woman's prophecy: "…ye shall die within the fortnight…" The demon-slayer did some calculations and figured they had been out on the road a week. That meant there was only one more week left…maybe not even that, if Miroku didn't get better. 

Kourin, noticing how Sango's actions so mirrored Miroku's, gave a sad smile. She placed a comforting hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "He'll live," she reassured Sango. "I don't think he'd just die…and leave certain people." Sango looked at Miroku once more and wiped his sweaty brow with a cool cloth. 

"I hope so," she said softly. "I sincerely hope so." 

**

After coming home from her rounds that day, Kourin found Sango kneeling next to Miroku. She was absentmindedly stroking the now-healed Kirara, silent. Once in a while, though, she would start talking to the monk, simple sentences telling him that he'd get better and they'd get to the Lake before time ran out. Kourin once again smiled that sad smile and came kneel across from Sango, on Miroku's other side. 

"Will you help me readminster his medicine and change his bandages?" Kourin asked, already taking out her supplies. Sango silently took a sponge and herbs and began to gently cleanse Miroku's head wound. 

"You know," Kourin said after a few minutes' silence. "You're a lucky girl." Sango glanced up sharply. Her family and villagers had been slaughtered by her possessed younger brother who had also tried to kill her; she was on a quest with a half-dog-demon and a girl from the future not to mention a fox-demon and a lecherous monk to seek the shards of the Sacred Jewel; and she was currently on another side-quest with only the lecherous monk for company, besides the fact that the same monk would die within the next week. No, Sango did not consider herself lucky. 

Kourin continued while tending Miroku, not looking at Sango. "I mean, you're a lucky girl to have such a caring husband." 

Sango blushed and shook her head. "It's not like that," she said. "We're companions on a quest." Kourin looked up for a moment, scrutinizing Sango, then went back to her work. 

"He stayed up through all the days you were sick," Kourin continued. "This young monk disregarded his own injuries and never left your side during the four days you were ill." 

Sango snorted. "I bet," she said. "He was just trying to cop a feel on me while I couldn't react." 

Kourin shrugged. "I don't know but that the monk's only actions were to help clean your wounds and pray for you. As far as I know, he never once tried to…touch…you in a perverse manner." 

"Oh," Sango said in a small voice. She wanted to believe the healer… and what was more disturbing, she thought she did. Gently, she finished tying Miroku's bandage and shakily stood up to wash her hands. 

"Sango," Kourin called to her at the door. Sango paused and turned. "It is okay to let someone else get close to your heart. You don't need to push everyone away." Sango stared over her shoulder for another second before she wordlessly walked out the door and rinsed her hands. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Sango." 

The owner of the name started up out of a light doze, Kirara falling off from her perch on Sango's chest. By the dying light of the fire, Sango made her way over the short distance to where Miroku was. 

"Houshi-sama?" she whispered. Miroku opened her eyes and grabbed her wrist. 

"Sango… do you remember what I told you? Last time I was sick?" he asked in a soft voice, all he could manage. 

"You told me…to not be sad. To smile," Sango replied. 

"Are you?" Miroku asked. Sango was silent. "Are you?" Miroku repeated. "Please tell me... honestly…that you haven't been sad." 

Sango was silent a moment longer before she responded. "I can't not be sad, Houshi-sama," she said quietly. "I'm too worried that you might not make it…that we might not make it to the Lake of Crystal Waters." She paused and turned to look at Miroku with the sparkle of tears in her eyes. "I don't want you to die!" 

"Who said… I was going to die?" Miroku said with a weak chuckle. He let go of Sango's wrist and relaxed back onto his blankets. "Give me some credit. I am not weak… I can defeat this sickness." Miroku lapsed back into his comatose state and Sango was left helpless. 

'I was so worried…that you might not make it.' Miroku's words to her when she first awoke played over in her head, along with the memory of how he had hugged her ever-so-gently, taking care not to injure her even more. That show of blatant emotion had surprised her. The perverted monk, who viewed girls as handrests, had been worried….about her? 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Miroku awoke an even three days after his collapse. By this time, Sango had regained her mobility and most of her health. She watched with a mix of fear and anxiousness as Miroku made no turn for the better- or the worse. But finally!- finally came the day when the monk too made his recovery. 

"Sango?" he whispered. Clearing his throat, he tried again, louder. "Sango!" 

"Houshi-sama!" Sango replied. She came closer to him and checked his temperature. "Houshi-sama…your fever's broken!" Impulsively, she hugged Miroku around the shoulders, burying her face into his chest. "Houshi-sama…I thought you'd died," she said in a slightly choked voice. 

Awkwardly, Miroku patted her back slightly, whispering into her hair. "I'm here," he reassured her. "I'm not dead…yet." There was a playful irony in his last words that just made Sango bury her face further into his chest. 

"Houshi-sama, please don't die," she said. "When you were sick, just now…I wasn't sure if you'd wake up." 

"And that's a bad thing?" Miroku said, keeping his voice playful and cheerful, as if trying to negate the heaviness of his words. 

"I would hate it…if you died, Houshi-sama," Sango said. 

Kourin came in and saw the entire scene, smiling satisfactorily, as the two sat in the same position unflinching, unchanging and unloudly. 

*~*~*~*~*

"Thank you, Kourin Auntie," said Miroku and Sango. The day after Miroku had gotten better, the pair decided it was time to leave- if they ever wanted to make it to the Lake in time. 

"You're welcome, children!" she called after them. "Never be a secret from each other!" 

"So, we're on the road again?" Miroku commented as they rode astride Kirara. Both were still slightly weak from their injuries and decided that they'd ride Kirara for some time and walk others. 

Sango nodded, silent. Ever since the day that Miroku had embraced her- and then she had embraced Miroku- she had been thinking of little else. Could it be…there was something else to him? Another side? 

She felt a slight pressure on her breast and noticed an all-too-familiar hand resting there. "Ooops, lost my balance," Miroku lied cheerfully. 

Not bothering to screech any of the usual insulting names she had for him, Sango simply turned around and smacked the monk. 

Maybe she was wrong…maybe there wasn't another side to the monk. 

********************************

Key: *= I'm bad with Japanese honorifics after -san, -chan -kun, and -sama. So I didn't know what to call an older woman when you first meet her in Japanese. Instead, I used what I would say in India since I don't know any other way. 

A/N: Wow, this chapter *sucked*. It was choppy, disorganized, vague, sudden…I know what I wanted to stay I just didn't know how to say it. I also know that the whole Miroku or Sango-get-sick-and-the-other-watches thing has been done many many times, but I liked the idea. Feh. See how far that got me. Please review because if you're here you've obviously read. 


	7. In Which Our Heroes Continue

Maybe Someday: A Miroku x Sango Love Story

*Disclaimer: * Feh. As if I could ever author an incredibly popular manga, which has been running for seven years and counting, has had two movies made of it besides an animated series, and has 14%-18% of the population of Japan watching it. 

A/N: Thanks a bunch for your reviews. This chapter is going to be pretty pointless, I knew where I wanted to go but I just can't quite get there…

Mystical-Grace: While that's a good idea, my plots don't run that deep! I can't think up of a plot that intricate. 

Keika: You didn't offend me, belly-dancing is more Middle Eastern; I'm a few shades to dark to be 'bronze,' and I *used* to have black hair, but then all my swimming, plus a few henna highlights, turned it a dark brown-ish with copper highlights. 

****************************************

"Sango, are you feeling all right?" Miroku asked. Sango spun around, jerked out of her thoughts. 

"What?" She paused, then answered, "Yes, I'm perfectly fine, why wouldn't I be?" 

Miroku shrugged. "You had some pretty serious injuries. I wanted to make sure that you are up to continuing on this journey." 

"Excuse me?" Sango demanded. "I said I'd help you. And I had only minor injuries. Besides… I wanted to make sure that you wouldn't die." Sango glanced down as she said this. 

"Sango… look at me," Miroku said. Tremblingly, Sango tentatively lifted her head to look at Miroku. He cupped her chin in her hands and looked down into face. "Why, Sango, do you never look at me…when you admit that you are worried about me?" Sango stared mutely back, unable to speak for the moment. Miroku searched her face with his for a long while, silent, still keeping Sango's chin in his hand. After a while, though, Miroku seemed to have found whatever he was looking for: he nodded his head slightly and released Sango. She immediately turned back forward, already starting to walk ahead. 

"You're afraid too, huh?" Miroku said abruptly, after only a few minutes of silence. 

"Afraid of what?" replied the girl. 

"You are scared, as I am," Miroku answered, "that by letting yourself get closer to the people that you lo- care- about, that you will unavoidably get hurt." 

"I- I am not scared of anything!" Sango declared, although the slight tremble in her voice belied her statement. 

"Then you are a fool," Miroku said quietly. Sango looked furious for a moment, trying to decide what kind of pain to inflict on the monk, but she had the nagging feeling he was right, and so stayed silent. "You are afraid, Sango, that Naraku may never be defeated…that your brother, Kohaku, will never be free… you are scared that you will lose the company you now keep, as you lost everyone you once loved and trusted." 

'Damn that Houshi!' she thought furiously. 'Why does he have to know and perceive so much?' 

"And you?" replied Sango scathingly. "You are scared also that Naraku will never be vanquished…you are afraid that your hellhole will consume you before you can get some woman to bear your child! Which is worse?" 

"I am scared about everything, Sango!" Miroku said firmly. "Not just about myself. I am afraid that no one in our company will achieve what they want…I am scared that *you* will not get what you want."

"H-Houshi-sama," whispered Sango, no longer holding up any pretense of anger with the monk, "what are you saying?" Sango was surprised that Miroku was admitting to worrying about someone other than himself, in fact, he was worried about them all. 'Houshi-sama usually would not spare a thought for others…' Oh great, she thought, there came his "other side" again.

"I'm not saying anything," he replied, equally quietly. "Except that maybe none of us will be successful in our quest." Sango wasn't sure about this answer; she had the distinct feeling that Miroku meant more than his words said outright. And yet…yet what could the monk have to say that he couldn't tell her straight-out? 

"Houshi-sama," she asked, since they were on the subject, "are you scared that we may not reach the Lake of Crystal Waters before time runs out?" 

"No," Miroku replied. Sango glanced sharply up at him, surprised at both his answer and the slightly cheerful note to his voice. 

"What do you mean?" 

"I'm not scared that we will not reach there soon…because I can feel that we are almost there!" Miroku replied. He smiled broadly at Sango. 

"Oh. I mean, good! Wonderful!" Sango said, clapping her hands and matching Miroku's cheerful tone. 'Why did he sound so cheerful?' Sango wondered, even as she returned Miroku's smile. 'Is he so happy…to end this quest and so end his time with me as his sole companion?' 

Meanwhile, Miroku, noting Sango's cheerful voice, was wondering much the same thing. 'Why does she look so happy that our quest is almost over?' he thought. 'I know this means my life will not be in as much danger…but surely she cannot dislike my company enough that she would be so happy to rid herself of me…?' Shaking his head slightly, Miroku glanced up at the sky and noted that the sun was almost directly overhead. He also heard his own stomach rumbling. 

"Why do we not stop here?" Miroku suggested, as they soon stumbled upon a clearing. "We can rest, prepare lunch, and then continue, so we may reach the Lake of Crystal Waters by sunset." 

Sango nodded. She had the distinct feeling that Miroku was trying to forget their earlier conversation. She couldn't blame him, she felt the same; it was a lot of information that she needed to process. And some of what Miroku had said, had admitted, really, was disturbing, so against the character of the monk she thought she knew…

Sango set up a fire, the dry tinder instantly flaming up high. She found the provisions they had taken- with permission- from Kourin Auntie, and prepared to make a meal. While she knew she wasn't much of a chef, all her traveling with Miroku and Kagome had taught her the basics. 

As she waited for the water in the small pot to come to a boil, Sango sat down on a nearby log and inspected her hair. She made a face when she felt its roughness, the burs and tangles knotting up her hair. 'Where's Kagome's hair-soap when I need it?' she thought, as she attempted to work out the tangles and knots by running her fingers through her hair. 

"Ow!" she exclaimed under her breath, as her fingers encountered a particularly nasty tangle. She tried to work her fingers out of her hair, but they too were caught up in the dark locks. 

"Here," came a soft voice from near her ear. The breath tickled her neck and made the hairs on the back of it stand up. Before Sango could respond, Miroku had gently worked her fingers out of the tangle they were caught in. And before she could respond, Miroku's long, slim fingers gently undid the tangles, unknotted her hair. Moving behind her, his fingers deftly plaited Sango's hair into a long, dark braid. 

"There!" Miroku said, as he secured the end of the braid with ribbon. He patted the braid a few times and looked at it admiringly. Sango reached a hand behind her and felt the monk's work wonderingly. Even as a young child, she hadn't had plaited hair. She brought the braid around her shoulder in order to inspect it more carefully, liking the way the three strands were interwoven to make one single, thick strand. 

"It's very nice, Houshi-sama," Sango said, stirring the pot, to which she had added herbs and chopped carrots, zucchini, butternut squash, eggplants and spices. She felt hands on her shoulders and then Miroku was turning her toward him, so he could see her face. 

"The braid looks nice on you," he said quietly. He brushed a stray wisp of hair from Sango's face to behind her ear. Sango was uncomfortably aware of how close he was to her. "It looks so nice, so beautiful…" 

Sango twisted out of Miroku's grasp and turned her head away from him. "Stop admiring your work so much," she said. "It's nice, I said that. You should not be so vain of what you do." 

"I was not talking about your braid," Miroku whispered. Sango refused to look at him, though she knew he was staring at her. "Sango, I…" 

But she shoved a small bowl into his hands. "Eat. It's soup," Sango instructed him, carefully avoiding him. She poured herself some soup and ate it, knowing that Miroku was looking at her from over his soup bowl. Unwillingly, Sango glanced up to meet his gaze, and after a second longer, Miroku's eyes dropped back down and he finished the soup in one large swallow. He set the bowl gently down and gave some to Kirara. 

"It was good soup," he complimented her. If Miroku was thinking of something other than the soup he masked it well. "You are quite the cook." 

"I learned it from Kagome," Sango said, modestly brushing away the compliment. Miroku looked as if he wanted to say more, as if he wanted to insist that Kagome could not have made the soup as well as Sango had. He didn't. 

"Shall we leave?" Miroku proposed, as Sango re-packed their meager belongings. She nodded silently and rose easily from her kneeling position. 

  
"Kirara!" Sango called to her cat. The tiny cat-demon mewed and gave up her chasing of butterflies to follow her mistress. 

~*~*~*~*~*

The sun was preparing to set. 

The blood-red orb hung heavily, low in the sky, a few moments away from disappearing from sight for the night. The sky it lived in was in brilliant shades of orange, red, and pink. 

It looked like a fire ready to consume anything that flew across it. 

Miroku glanced appreciatively at the artist's palette of colors, noting its beauty. Miroku wasn't one to miss anything of beauty. Miroku knew he could find beauty in everything. 

Even death. 

Miroku sighed. He could actually *feel* the Lake of Crystal Waters, as if it gave off some aura like a demon's, except this one was benign. So he knew he and Sango were going in the correct direction. But as Sango had said, there was some sort of obstacle before he could take a sip of the blessed water. True, they had already met with adversity: first the time limit, then the demon attack. And emotionally also…Miroku wondered if emotional troubles counted as an obstacle. If it didn't, it should be, he thought. 

All throughout the journey, he had been fluctuating between completely taking Sango and pushing her further away. Was it better to have a moment's worth of love and then have it taken away…or perhaps it was better to be alone and then have no attachments so nothing could be taken away…? 

"Huh?" Miroku said, startled out of his reverie, realizing Sango had asked him a question. 

"I said," Sango said, "do you feel that we are near yet? After all, it is sunset, and if I recall correctly you said we would be at the Lake of Crystal Waters by this time." 

"Yes," Miroku answered. "I feel it- it's close, very close…" Miroku took an abrupt left turn, grinning. "Come on, Sango, let us take Kirara! We are so near to our destination!" 

Kirara galloped through the air, sensing her mistress's and her friend's excitement. 

In a few moments, the party came upon a smooth lake, the waters clear and deep, sapphire blue, sakura trees bending blossom-laden branches toward the water. 

"Is this it?" Sango breathed. 

"Yes," Miroku replied. 

"This is the Lake of Crystal Waters." 

****************************

Blech. I didn't like this chapter either. I could've done more with it. Oh yeah, and that whole bit about the sunset and all was pretty pointless, just an outlet for me to exercise descriptive technique. And one of my closest friends, who is almost exactly like Miroku, said he could find beauty in everything, even death, so I got that idea from my friend. I think I'm not going to have this fic end right after Miroku takes a sip from the Lake. After all, Miroku and Sango still need to get together…!

Please review because if you're here then you've obviously read. 


	8. Close but No Cigar

Maybe Someday: A Miroku x Sango Love Story

*Disclaimer: * Feh. As if I could ever author an incredibly popular manga, which has been running for seven years and counting, has had two movies made of it besides an animated series, and has 14-18% of the population of Japan watching it. 

A/N: *blushes* Stop it guys, you're embarrassing me! Thank you so much to all my reviewers, you're the greatest! Remember, a little appreciation goes a loooong way! Hikari, to what do I owe the honor? You must definitely have some of the absolute best stores on the entire site, especially **_Omoide no Mori_**. I'm humbled when I read your fics. And thanks for telling me about the sites I could go to. I'm not allowed to use Kazaa, since I'm only a little high-schooler still under the control of my 'rents.

***********************************

"So we're here," Sango said, looking across the water. 

"Yes, we are," Miroku replied quietly, similarly staring off across the lake, shimmering darkly under the dusky sky. 

"What are you waiting for, Houshi-sama?" asked Sango. "Why don't you take a sip of the water?" 

Miroku turned to her, taking her hands in his. "Sango… I wanted to thank you for accompanying me on this journey." 

Sango turned away, pulling her hands out of his. "It was nothing. You would not have made it here alive if I weren't with you." 

"No, I wouldn't, that's true," Miroku chuckled. His face became more serious. 

"All right then," Sango said. "Go. Drink the water." 

Miroku knelt by the lake, laying his staff down. He stared at his reflection in the water before he shook his head and cupped his hands. Straightening again and turning towards her once more, he asked, "Sango, after I partake of the water, would you-"

All of a sudden, Sango was thrown, with a cry, away from the lake. Miroku grabbed his staff and turned towards were she was last. "Sango!" he yelled. The demon-exterminator was fighting demons many meters from where he was. The monk started running at his admittedly fast top speed away from the lake, to help Sango fight the monsters. 

Sango, meanwhile, fended off the monsters as best as she could. She had the feeling they were used as a mere distraction, as they were very weak. She could remember slaying demons like this when she was a child in training. However, their sheer numbers were what was proving the problem. Sango used Hiraikotsu plus her wakizashi and Kirara to fight them off. _'Houshi-sama, please hurry up and drink the water soon…'_

**

Miroku was close to where Sango was. Putting on an extra burst of speed, he was about to make it when- 

"Uh-uh-uh," said a mocking voice. Miroku stopped and straightened when he felt and saw a blue/pink barrier separating him from Sango. 

"Show yourself!" Miroku yelled, hoisting his staff into an offensive position. In front of him, a form appeared as if it was formed from the barrier itself. It was tall and slender, with pale blue skin and large, pointed ears. The figure had very long, pale hair and was dressed in thin garments of pastel colors. Numerous baubles hung from its overlarge ears. 

"A wood-spirit!" Miroku realized, saying it out loud. 

"Very good," the spirit said, clapping long, slender hands together. "You _are_ the smart one." 

"Let me through!" challenged Miroku, preparing to run. 

The wood-spirit stepped aside. "Oh, is that all you wanted? You should have said so earlier." As Miroku prepared to burst through the barrier, the wood-spirit added something to his statement. "Oh- I forgot to tell you. This is a one-way barrier. If you leave it, then you cannot come back." Miroku stopped for a fraction of a second before making his decision. 

He burst through the barrier. 

Immediately jumping into the fray, Miroku slashed, bashed, and cursed all monsters that came his way. Sango did not notice at first. She did, however, notice how no new monsters appeared when the others were killed. Sango sheathed her wakizashi and slung Hiraikotsu back over her shoulder, a little exhausted from the fight, sighing in relief. 

"I wonder what happened," she said to Kirara. "Come, let us see if we can find Houshi-sama…" Sango turned to go back towards the lake. 

Then she gasped in surprise. 

**

[A few minutes back flashback] 

Miroku had been helping Sango fight off the demons. He was all too aware of the fact that if he opened his Kazaana, that Sango and Kirara would be sucked in, and it would probably consume him also. He fought in the usual way without using his Air Rip. And then- then, after a long time of fighting, all the demons seemed to be gone. 

Except, there was one left. 

Miroku did not notice it until it attacked him. He had just gone to talk to Sango, to see if she was all right. However, the demon stayed behind him. It stuck one sharp, thick claw straight into Miroku's back. 

Miroku inhaled deeply, drawing as much breath as he could. The demon smiled and then disappeared, leaving the battleground bare, save for Sango and Kirara at the far end of the clearing. The monk collapsed, sinking first to his knees and then falling backwards onto his back. "S-Sango," he managed to gasp out, not loud enough for her to hear. 

And then the world turned black and he knew no more. 

**
__

[Back to the present]

"Houshi-sama!" Sango cried, running over to the felled monk. She knelt by him and slapped his face lightly to wake him up. "Houshi-sama, wake up!" But he was silent. Crimson blood pooled out on the ground from the wound on his back. His breathing was ragged, labored. The fingers still clutching his staff were starting to go limp. 

"No, Houshi-sama," she whispered. "Don't die now…" 

As if from far away, Miroku heard Sango's voice. "A-angel," he whispered. "Come to take me to the Other World…" 

Sango shook her head. "Houshi-sama, it is me, Sango," she said, leaning closer to him so he could hear her. 

"Sango?" he managed out. "Go- lake- water, please…might still be alive…if- drink- water…" 

Sango nodded. "Kirara!" she called a slight tremor in her voice. "Stay here. Make sure nothing bad- worse- happens to Houshi-sama." And then Sango ran to the lake. 

A blue/pink barrier sprang up, separating her from the lake. Sango stopped mid-stride and placed one hand on Hiraikotsu, ready to throw it. 

"Let me through!" she yelled, then charged the barrier. She knew it was a stupid move, but she was in a hurry. The barrier just repelled her, throwing her back. She landed with a groan on her back, but immediately stood up again, preparing to charge once more. 

A mocking laugh could be heard from somewhere around her. "Who's there?" she called. A form materialized from the barrier in front of Sango, tall and slim with pale blue skin and large, pointed ears. 

The creature laughed again. "You mortals are just _so_ amusing to watch," he said, wiping mock-tears of mirth from his face. 

"What are you? Why are you here? Why will you not let me go through?" Sango demanded, readying Hiraikotsu. 

"Your friend figured it out much sooner than you," he commented. Sango glared at him. "Yes, I am a spirit of the wood- more specifically, the guardian of this lake." 

Sango understood. _'Yes, this must be it…the difficulty, the 'test' that deters so many from coming here to drink the water. But I must help Houshi-sama!' _

"Let me go through!" Sango ordered. When the wood-spirit did not budge, she used her bone-boomerang. "Hiraikotsu!" she called, knowing even as she threw her weapon it was useless. The wood-spirit stepped nimbly out of the way, and the barrier easily repelled Hiraikotsu. 

__

'Damn!' cursed Sango as she caught her returning weapon. _'What can I do? I must get through!'_ The wood-spirit was laughing again, as if to tell her it was futile, there was nothing she could do to get through the lake's barrier. Sango re-slung Hiraikotsu over her back and bent over, preparing to charge again. 

"Do you really think that will work?" chuckled the wood-spirit. 

Sango ran fast and hard towards the barrier. "Let…me…through!" As she ran, right before she reached the barrier, she thought, _'I must help…Miroku!'_ The moment she finished this thought, she closed her eyes, expecting to be repelled as usual by the barrier. 

She wasn't. 

Sango opened her eyes to see a large, writhing hole in the barrier where she had broken through, a pinkish light coming from it. The wood-spirit had stopped his chuckling abruptly and now had an extremely sad expression on his face. 

Sango did not stop to think about any of this. She immediately took out the goatskin she had with her and emptied its contents onto the ground. She then plunged it into the Lake of Crystal Waters, letting the cold, clear water fill the skin. She refastened the goatskin on her belt and as she did so, she noticed that her hands, which had been slightly cut and dirty, were now healed and clean. 

She paused for a moment before exiting the barrier, glancing suspiciously on the wood-spirit, who still looked extremely crestfallen. "You will just let me leave with your water without any more of a fight?" she asked, placing a prepatory hand on Hiraikotsu.

The wood-spirit shook his head, the baubles on his large ears swinging back and forth. "Yes, you can leave," he said grudgingly. "It is just that no one ever before- in my time as Guardian, of course- has ever broken through the barrier to take the water. I do not know what I would be supposed to do if someone did manage to take it." 

"But- how did I break through the barrier one time, when all other times I tried I was rejected from it?" asked Sango, perplexed. 

The wood-spirit shrugged. "Judging by the principles on which this barrier is based the only way you could have gotten through would be that your emotion for the monk was so strong it endowed you with the power to break through the barrier."

Sango cast a last suspicious stare at the spirit, then remembered Miroku. "Kirara!" she called, telling the cat to come with her. 

**

Miroku was in even worse shape when Sango reached him. She rushed to him, cradling his head in her lap. 

"Houshi-sama," she said, tears sparkling in her eyes. She quickly unfastened the goatskin of water from her belt and unscrewed the stopper. "Houshi-sama, please drink, you must make it through alive…" Miroku didn't move. Sango gently pried open his mouth slightly, then held the skin to his partially opened lips and trickled some water into his mouth. Much of the water spilled out of the skin and ran in rivulets down his throat. Miroku showed no sign of waking up. 

__

'Perhaps he is too far gone to be revived even with the magic water,' thought Sango, as she poured more water into his mouth. The last few drops of water hung on the corners of his mouth. Sango threw down the goatskin and put both arms around Miroku before placing him back on the ground. She leaned over him, watching him intently for any signs of life. 

The tears that had been withheld in Sango's eyes finally overflowed, trickling off her cheeks and falling on Miroku's lifeless face. The first tear that fell hung in midair for a moment, seeming to catch the moonlight and bending it slightly before resting on the monk's countenance. After that, another tear fell…then another…and again another….

"Houshi-sama," Sango choked out. "Please do not die…please do not leave…you have to fight Naraku, remember? You must avenge your father and get rid of the curse on your hand, Houshi-sama! You cannot die," she said softly. "You…cannot die." 

*~*~*~*~*~*
**__**

Important: Read: Hehehe, a slight, small cliffhanger. Originally, I had continued on this chapter and resolved the entire issue in this chapter, but I decided, hey, it's more fun if I leave it like this, simply because if Takahashi Rumiko was really drawing this- as if!- but anyway, if she were, she'd leave it on a cliffhanger also. I do have half of chapter nine done, but I need to continue it and I work on a weekly-update schedule. I know I might be dragging this out past the point of interest: if I am, please tell me in your review and I'll edit this. I just felt like stretching out this whole Miroku-at-the-Lake-and-something-goes-wrong-so-Sango-has-to-save-him scene. Also, I know Sango acted extremely OOC in this chapter, and please don't deny what we both know is true. And also, I know the battle scene was confusing- I mean, how could Sango _not _know that Miroku was fighting also? Well, there were a lot of monsters and it was a huge clearing, and Sango was too preoccupied with staying alive to pay attention to much else. And also, I mean, Sango just _*happened*_ to have a goatskin on her? That didn't make much sense, but work with me here, I needed somewhere she could hold the water in, because her hands wouldn't have worked, so I just thought of something on the spot. Suffice it to say that Kourin had given them a goatskin along with various other provisions when they left her hut. Please review because if you're here you've obviously read.


	9. Mission Accomplished!

Maybe Someday: A Miroku x Sango Love Story

*Disclaimer: * Feh. As if I could ever author an incredibly popular manga, which has been running for seven years and running, has had two movies made of it besides an animated series, and has 14-18% of the population of Japan watching it.

A/N: Thanks a lot to all who reviewed. For those of you who are coming back to this story, I need to tell you that I did edit chapters one and two so that Sango addresses him as "Houshi-sama" and also that I changed the fortune-teller's fortune so that Miroku's death is not limited solely to be consumed by his air rip. 

_Xing@fanfiction.net:_ I appreciate your reviews, but I want to request something of you: please do not send so many multiple reviews per chapter. I would like to know that the amount of reviews I receive is by diverse people, and not just a single entity. Again, I wanted to say I do appreciate the time you take out of your day to read and review my story, yet I wish that you would review each chapter just once, unless it is truly impossible to do so. If you have so many comments to say about my story, please either email me or IM me. 

*******************************

"A-hahahahahaha!" came an all-too-familiar, mocking laugh. Sango leapt up, eyes still bright with the glimmer of tears. 

"Why are you still here?" she demanded angrily. "I swear, this time I will waste no efforts in killing you!" 

The wood-spirit once more materialized in front of Sango. "It's a pity," said the spirit gleefully, "but he's dead. Gone. He will not come back." 

"Why not?" asked Sango. "We reached the Lake of Crystal Waters. He drank the water prescribed to him…why is not Houshi-sama alive?!"

The spirit laughed again. "You ran out of time," he said simply. "That old hag fortune-teller said he had a fortnight. By-" he glanced up at the brightening sky; dawn had come- "sunset yesterday, his fortnight was done." 

"No, it cannot be!" Sango exclaimed. She reviewed their journey quickly in her mind. True, they had cut it a little close, but by the time they had reached the Lake at yesterday's sunset, they still had a couple days's surplus. No, she was positive that they had made it in time. "You lie!" she accused the wood-spirit. 

"No, I tell the truth," said the wood-spirit. He gave an exaggerated sigh. "Pity, too…such a nice monk." 

"How do you know Houshi-sama?" asked Sango. 

"I've met him before," replied the wood-spirit evasively. 

"What do you mean…?" Sango enquired, but even as she spoke, the spirit was changing form in front of her eyes, his outline blurring and his body flickering before he re-materialized, but looking completely different than what he looked like before. The main difference was that he…was now a…she?

The wood-spirit had transformed into the old fortune-teller from what seemed so long ago to Sango. He-she?- spoke again, but in the wood-spirit's young voice. "Yes, I am that fortune-teller," the spirit said. 

"But… I do not understand!" cried Sango. "First, you try to help Houshi-sama by telling him when he was going to die and then telling him about the Lake of Crystal Waters. Then you come here and say that he is dead anyway?" 

"You misunderstand me," said the wood-spirit. "I am truly a wood-spirit-" it transformed into Kourin Auntie- "who has a vendetta against Naraku." 

"Naraku?" breathed Sango. "What does he have to do with you?" 

"That lump of evil, Naraku, took my kin and forced them into slavery," said the wood-spirit, reverting back to its original form. "I wanted revenge against him…as all my wood-spirit- brothers and -sisters are dead." 

"Why not chase after him yourself?" Sango challenged. "Why go through all this trouble of disguising yourself and following us?" 

"I am not strong enough to give even chase to Naraku," said the wood-spirit. 

"You had no Shikon shards?" asked Sango. The wood-spirit shook his head. "Why not drink the water, which seems to be equivalent to having a Shikon shard?" 

The wood-spirit smiled ironically. "The guardian of the Lake of Crystal Waters is forbidden to ever drink from it." 

"I see…but why should you use Houshi-sama as a tool for your vengeance?" asked Sango, still perplexed_. 'None of this is making sense!'_ she thought in frustration. 

The wood-spirit shrugged. "I need someone strong to fight for me against Naraku. I saw your monk: strong physically and mentally, with great powers, and that hellhole in his hand had proven useful more than once." 

That it had, Sango admitted to herself. Except, of course, when Naraku's saimyoushou were around but that was besides the point. "And exactly what was your point in leading Houshi-sama around on this goose-chase?" Sango asked, borrowing one of Kagome's modern-day phrases. 

"I needed to make sure he was strong," said the wood-spirit. "I needed to affirm that he would be my champion, that he would be the one that could defeat Naraku." 

"I see," breathed Sango. "So this entire time, this entire quest to salvage Houshi-sama's life was a test to you, to make sure he was strong?" 

The wood-spirit nodded. "When I was the fortune-teller, I was starting him on his quest. Later, when he was injured and you were also, I took pity on the monk and became Kourin Auntie and helped him. I thought that would be enough. And yet…and yet he couldn't even survive this little battle at the end." 

"No, that is not true!" reiterated Sango hotly. "What is your point in lying to me about how Houshi-sama is dead? I though you wanted him to defeat Naraku! What good would letting him die do?" 

The wood-spirit smiled sadly. "I have plenty of time to find a suitable champion," he said softly. "I am not cursed-or blessed- with mortality." 

"So…you are simply dispensing of Houshi-sama?" demanded Sango angrily. "Not even giving him a chance to live?" 

The wood-spirit became a little angry also. "Mortal wench, I do not understand why you do not understand!" he burst out. "He has failed his test. Had his emotions for you not been so strong he would have partook of the Lake's waters of his own free will and well on his way to defeating Naraku." 

Sango was nonplussed for a moment, taken aback by the wood-spirit's words. "What do you mean…'his emotion for me?'" she asked. 

"It's that simple," said the spirit. "He left the barrier and the Lake for ever by coming to your rescue. And then again, you broke through the barrier by the strength of your emotion for the monk." 

'Emotion…emotion!' thought Sango. _'What emotion could he mean…?'_ But the wood-spirit was disappearing, melting into the air like butter in the sun. "Wait-!" she called after it. But it was too late. The wood-spirit was gone. 

Sango went back to stay next to Miroku. "Houshi-sama…that wood-spirit said something about your emotion for me. What did he mean?" Miroku was silent, his face ashen and his breathing coming slow and labored. Quick, disjointed memories flashed in the back of her eyelids: every time Miroku had groped her, every time he had opened his Air Rip, every time he was near her. 

"Houshi-sama, please stay alive, even if only for me," she whispered, the tears coming back. She blinked rapidly, trying to get rid of the burning behind her eyes. Once more, clear, large tears beaded down her face and spattered Miroku's robes and face. 

"I want you to be with me…Houshi-sama," she whispered. There- was Miroku stirring?! She repeated herself a little louder, "Stay alive so we can be together…Miroku." 

For the first time, Sango spoke aloud the name of the man she had often thought about. Surprising even herself, she admired the way the monk's name rolled off her tongue, the way the syllables hung in the air for a moment before disappearing. 

This time there was no doubt- Miroku was stirring. His breathing became more regular, his face slowly regaining a healthy flush. He blinked his eyes rapidly before opening them finally to see Sango, tears rolling down her face, knelt next to him. 

"S-Sango?" said the monk, his voice a bare whisper. He coughed and tried again. "Sango…" 

"Houshi-sama, you are alive!" Sango said with less enthusiam than she felt. 

"Barely," replied Miroku, struggling to pull himself into a sitting postion. He succeeded. He glanced at Sango intently, seemingly searching her face. "Just now…what did you call me, Sango?" 

"Houshi-sama," replied Sango, knowing as she did that it was not what the monk had meant. 

"No, I meant before that," prodded Miroku gently. "You…said my name, didn't you." 

"I-I…" 

"Sango, it is that belief that you said my name…that gave me the will to live and so I pulled myself out from the clutches of Death, to return back to life, that I could see you once more," Miroku admitted. "Say it again, Sango, say my name again!" 

Sango was silent for a long moment, Miroku's gaze on her face never wavering. She heard the gentle ripple of the Lake's water as a slight breeze blew over them. Now was the time, she told herself. Once more, Sango formed the name in her mind, then slowly transferred it to her tongue. 

"Miroku," she said softly. The joy in Miroku's face was unbounded, his dark eyes alight with happiness. She said it again, louder. "Miroku!" she cried, once more hugging him, burying her face in his chest. 

After a while, the two pulled away from each other. "Sango," said Miroku, "what happened after I fell unconscious?" 

"I broke through the barrier guarding the Lake," said Sango. "And then, I got some water and gave it to you. But- but you didn't respond, and I was so afraid you'd died, once and for all." She paused, then continued. "Then that wood-spirit came and told me this entire quest was a test, to see if you were worthy of avenging Naraku for him. He was the fortune-teller and Kourin Auntie also." 

Miroku nodded. "I see. Sango, how did you break through the barrier? It shouldn't have been enterable. The wood-spirit told me it was a one-way barrier: once a person was on the outside who came from the inside, they couldn't get back inside." 

Sango blushed slightly. "The spirit said something along the lines of, my emotion for you was so strong it overcame the magic of the barrier." Then the full import of Miroku's words hit her. "One-way barrier…you mean to say, Houshi-sama, that you gave up your chance at drinking from the Lake just to come outside and fight demons?" 

Miroku shook his head softly, a small smile playing on his lips. "No. I came outside…to help you." 

"Miroku…why?" Sango asked. "Why would you do something like that, just for me?" 

"It's not 'just you,'" Miroku replied, taking her face in his hands. "You, Sango, are the most amazing, wonderful girl I have ever had the honor to meet." 

"Miroku, what are you saying?" she asked, as she had so many times before. But this time, there was nothing to stop him from declaring his heart to her. 

"All I'm saying is that, I want to live my entire life with you by my side, Sango." With that, Miroku brought his face closer to hers and kissed her softly, tenderly. 

"Miroku, I…would be happy to spend all of my life and more with you," Sango replied with a smile. 

"You, and only you, Sango," promised Miroku. His serious face broke into a grin, and once more he kissed Sango passionately. 

When the two were done, morning had come. Sango and Miroku sat in contented silence for a while. Sango noticed the hand with the rosary was the one resting on her hand. 

"Miroku, what about the curse?" she asked. 

"To hell with the curse," he replied. "I have you now. We can still go on fighting Naraku, Sango, but that's not my first priority anymore." He reached up and tweaked her nose. "You are." 

Sango sighed contentedly. This was her new life: a life that would be full of happiness and love. A life where she and Miroku lived together forever, a life where time had no meaning, a life where both would stay youthful in love as they were now. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

****

A/N: This looks like the end of the story, but it's not. Chapter 10 is the last one and it will be more like the epilogue, but read anyway. About this chapter: Yes, my poor _attmepts_ at angst were unrealistic and overdone, so overdramatized, that they probably looked hilarious rather than serious. I also know that the whole thing about the wood-spirit being the fortune teller and also Kourin Auntie was unrealistic to the series and completely sudden and random. I needed something to tie everything in together, plus a way to get rid of the wood-spirit, so this was the way I hit upon. It's terrible, I know, but I had a plothole there. So I filled it. And I probabaly could have put more feeling into the admittance-of-love scene. But I couldn't really describe the feelings, which I know is the sign of a bad author.

For those of you who think that my self-deprecation is a way to get people to review positively, it's not. I admit my own weaknesses so that the dear reader knows that the author knows she is not perfect and know her own weaknesses. 

Thank you to all my reviewers. I appreciate all the positive feedback I have received. I am honored to think that all of you have thought this was an excellent S/M story. I am currently working on Chapter 1 of my new S/M story, _Pyaar: Love_. It will, as I said, be strictly S/M and I think it looks pretty okay. Look for it soon!Again, if hikari is reading this, I wanted to say I am especially honored that you have reviewed. 


	10. Epilogue

Maybe Someday: A Miroku x Sango Love Story

*Disclaimer: * As if I could ever author an incredibly popular manga…yadda yadda, by now you know I don't own nothing.

Okay, if no one has noticed it yet, look at the first letters of the first two words of my title. M and S. M/S. Yeah, I know it's supposed to be S/M, but I wanted a title that had the couple's initials in it, and Maybe Someday struck me, and Someday Maybe didn't sound as good. Just so you know.

****************************

Sango and Miroku stepped happily into Kaede's village. It was so nice and familiar, after their days of adventuring and adversity. 

Walking into Kaede's hut, they found the old woman, and Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippou gathered around a fire. 

"Sango-chan! Miroku!" cried Kagome happily, as she leapt up from her spot near the fire and flung herselves at them. "Are you guys okay? Did you find that Lake or whatever?" 

Sango and Miroku smiled. "Yes, we found the Lake," replied Sango. "We're okay, now we're here to stay." 

"Good," added Inuyasha, not looking at them, still from his spot near the fire. "We need to get going and get more Shikon shards." 

"Inuyasha!" shrieked Kagome, as she turned on him furiously. "Miroku's life hung in the balance, and they just came back, and all you can think of are Shikon shards?" 

Sango smiled wider, glad to find out that nothing had changed between the others in the time they were gone. As Inuyasha and Kagome argued, Kaede and Shippou shaking their heads, Sango and Miroku clasped hands and stepped outside into the beautiful calm, clear night. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Back on the quest to defeat Naraku and complete the Shikon Jewel, Kagome came to Sango and pulled her behind the rest of the company. 

"So, Sango," asked Kagome slyly. "What happened between you and Miroku?" 

"What makes you think anything's happened?" Sango asked. 

Kagome sighed. "It's so obvious," she said. "Besides, you look so…happy now. Well, happier than you have been, at least." It was true, though Sango herself didn't know it. There was a happy sparkle in her eyes that hadn't been there before, and she seemed much more prone to smile than she had been before. 

Sango and Miroku had been holding hands, sneaking kisses when they thought no one was looking. They didn't know, of course, that Kagome had forced Inuyasha and Shippou to spy with her on Sango and Miroku constantly. 

"It must have been so romantic," said Kagome. "You must have been in danger, and Miroku came to save you. And then he dropped on one knee and handed you a rose and declared his everlasting love to you…" 

Sango said nothing, simply kept on smiling and let Kagome prattle on. The girl would be much happier with her own story, anyway, Sango thought. 

"Kagome, if you want to know what happened between Miroku and me," said Sango, a dreamy expression on her face, "I'll tell you. Love happened." 

Kagome squealed in delight and then bombarded Sango with more questions. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sango sighed comfortably in her bedroll that night, curled up close with Miroku, not doing anything, just lying together. Miroku was whispering in her ear, his breath tickling her. It was at times like this, thought Sango, when she was fully revelling in Miroku's love, that things like the Shikon Jewel, or Kohaku, or Naraku, or Miroku's kazaana didn't seem to matter at all… that the world seemed to shrink until only they and their love existed. 

~Fin~

*******************************

A/N: Yes, I'm done with this story. This is one of my few fics that I've actually finished, and not lost inspiration for. Hehehe, couldn't resist adding in that little bit of Kagome-bashing in this epilogue. Sorry to all you Kagome-lovers. Sorry also about the reaaaaaallllllyyyyyy short chapter, but it's just an epilogue. Not much in the way of plot continuation.

A great big, final thank you must go out to all my reviewers. You have told me that someone out there appreciates me and my writing. 

Oh yeah, sorry xing@fanfiction.net, I didn't realize that all the multiple reviews were due to a bug in the system. I apologize for reprimanding you…I should've figured you wouldn't do it anyway. 

Once more, good night all you crazy-cool cats out there. 


End file.
